Lance Klusener - Where Does He Stand

[gettingbetter]

In amongst the Ricahrds, Tendulkars, Bevans, Akrams and whoever else you call a great ODI player, where does this man stand? It is hard to argue that there has been a better player in ODIs for South Africa than Klusener. But in overall scheme, I personally believe if that he isn't the greatest ODI player (OK, that may be a bit far), he certainly is in the top 5 to wear the PJs.

Lets not just look at it from a 99 WC POV, between 1998 and 2002 he averaged 47 with the bat striking at 90. Stats which are similar to Viv's overall career record. His bowling was also rather good, consistently getting wickets for his team. Although his bowling did fall away in the latter part of his career, his versatility cannot be underestimated - rapid enough to open the bowling, skillful enough to take charge of the death overs and everything in between. His bowling skills can be measured in how often he took a 5-for in ODI - 6 times, nothing to sniff at consdiering the likes of AKram, Lee, Waqar, Murali and McGrath are ahead of him.

So, where does he stand in your mind?

[Athlai]

Top 20, maybe.

[_Ed_]

Top 10 for mine.

[NZTailender]

Originally Posted by gettingbetter

So, where does he stand in your mind?

Usually on the ground or other stable piece of footing.


Though I have had dreams about him doing a Lionel Ritchie, and standing on the ceiling...

[Richard]

While Klusener is obviously not a batsman in the class of a Bevan or Tendulkar (refuse to compare him to a Richards or anyone else from 1989 backwards), his batting remained a thing of quite some extraordinaire, and was indeed often hugely underestimated.

What always disappointed me with Klusener was his bowling, especially later in his career. After his ankle injury in 1998, it's well known that he wasn't the Test bowler he had once been (bowling off-cutters off 5 paces almost as often as he bowled his proper seam-up off the full run) but his ODI powers were never quite as good as I hoped upon seeing him for the first time in 1998.

Had he been a front-line bowler who conceded less runs per over, he'd have a true case for being the most valuable ODI player ever. And while his batting performed an essential role to a level no-one (yes, no-one) has ever matched, that role is still nowhere near so impressive as that of a top-order batsman.

[Lillian Thomson]

He stands before the mirror of his soul, naked and alone.

[Flem274*]

Thought the guy was brilliant TBH. Could win games from no where. He'd walk into every side in the world today IMO.

[Briony]

I thought he was over the hill in the early noughties. Never quite good enough to be a consistent test cricketer. Very handy lower order bat but lacked bite and penetration with the ball, especially on flat tracks. A gun in ODIs though. But not up with the pace today.

Smith got rid of him from the SA cricket team. Those who like him, blame the fat and clueless SA skipper.

[Days of Grace]

Probably the ODI game's greatest ever allrounder.

[chaminda_00]

At the other end of pitch, while a tailender gets run out.

[PY]

Zulu = one of my fave players. Some of his innings in '99 were insane, such a shame it ended the way it did.

[Perm]

Originally Posted by Days of Grace

Probably the ODI game's greatest ever allrounder.

Would probably agree with this. Though it is quite hard to compare Klusener to the likes of Imran, Kapil and Hadlee given they played in different eras and that the ODI game evolved significantly in that time.

[TT Boy]

Originally Posted by Flem274*

Thought the guy was brilliant TBH. Could win games from no where. He'd walk into every side in the world today IMO.

Presumably you mean in pomp? For Zulu bowls 70mph trite of about five yards nowadays and has long since been his once famous destructive self with the bat.

Though, he would definitely go down as one of the finest ODI cricketers of my generation.

[Smudge]

Lance Klusener - Where Does He Stand

I didn't realise he was at stud, tbh.

I hope he's not serving any ginger mares.

[Top_Cat]

At his best, Zulu was awesome. A hitting machine and a bloke who could consistently bowl 90mph, hard to find a player who can do all of that. Plus, he was able to do it under pressure in ODI's at least.